Days 258 to 272 - "You'll be a Midget, you will"

Since my last entry cleo has settled very well into her regime of treadmill exercises and leg stretches; and on one day recently, for reasons we won't go into here, rather than walk the treadmill for 5 minutes she did 10!

While improvements are less easy to see now, because each day they are so small they are there, and as always suddenly we notice something different that really could be considered a major step forward. This time it was the simple fact of going up the stairs: until now, cleo has always had to step one step at a time, and bring the second foot to the same tread on the stairs. Now she has managed to master the art of walking upstairs like you and I, by stepping past the resting foot and placing the moving foot on the next tread above, and so on.

A big step I am sure you will agree.

Happy Shopper

Of late, since purchasing the scooter (which has been named as "Sally" for some reason only known to cleo) our shopping trips are more frequent and much easier. We can go wherever we like now, and even to the point where this week we were in a large store on one side of a main road, and having exited that store cleo was off, at full throttle across the car park, up a ramp, and across the road via a pelican crossing, and we met again in the car park of another store after I had drove round there myself, thus saving me the trouble of physically lifting the scooter into the car again!

The scooter, being quite small and compact, seems to attract the attention of small children, who seem to think it would be a good "toy" to zoom around on, and no doubt it would be! In Asda this week we were shopping and a young boy, probably about 6 years old, asked cleo if it was fun riding the scooter. She replied that it was, but she was only on it because she couldn't walk. She then suggested that they swap, and she could have his legs, and he might ride round on the scooter: he duly thought about this for some time, and declined, suggesting that if she had his legs she would be a midget!

Ahhh the logic of children: infallible!

Days 253 to 257 - Starting the Regime

Our meeting with James last week proved extremely helpful, and while he agrees that continued physio with him may not be of much benefit, exercises and time will continue to help cleo's rehabilitation.

So, with that in mind we have started out with a regime designed by James which should help to improve cleo's walking, and leg strength, as well as her balance and muscle tone. James is never one to "give up" on anything if there is the remotest chance of recovery so he has added into the plan some exercises for her upper arm and shoulder too, which if nothing else will keep the joint mobile.

He has agreed that he will see cleo every two or three months for a while, to review with us any progress that may have been made. Along with this he can look at how we might change the regime should that be neccessary over time.

For those interested the exercises which we are doing are as follows:

Arm

1. Link hands together, move wrist back wards and forwards, thus flexing the wrist joint.
2. Attempt to straighten the elbow down to the side of the body so the arm is flat against the side
3. Try extending the arm behind you, even to the point of joining hands behind back if you can
4. Twice a week stretch shoulders forward and out to the side several times to maintain joint mobility

Leg

1. Focus on the time spent on each leg while walking (ensure the time on each step is even)
2. Calf stretches: to lengthen the calf muscles, and hold for at least 20 seconds each time.
3. Use treadmill daily, and over time try to increase slowly the walking speed.
4. Try some balancing tasks, like standing on one leg while at the kitchen sink or worktops, to enable the brain to re-learn that fine balance control again
5. Try to maintain a good rhythm while walking, best achieved by swinging the arms as you walk.

We will continue these exercises daily for now, and we shall see James on 5th October next, which will be nearly 11 months since the stroke.

The practice of all these things will, I know, improve cleo's walk. Furthermore, she has to maintain a mental focus, a picture in her mind of where she wants the rehabilitation to go, and never lose sight of that. My job in all of this is to ensure that she does that, by pushing her if I have to, by coaxing, helping and supporting. All those things I do with the knowledge that she will get to where she wants to be.

Of that there is no doubt!

Days 232 to 252 - Catching up

Firstly I must apologise for not adding reports on the Road to Recovery over the last three weeks. This post is prompted for 2 reasons: firstly that I needed to update those who read the blog, because I have been lax of late in adding entries, due to our busy schedule as cleo continues to improve, and secondly because of the anonymous comment left here this morning which of course anyone can read should they wish.

However I would make the comment that while this blog is read by many it is, and always has been a vehicle for those who wish to know how cleo is doing, and to follow the rehabilitation which she is undergoing. Now, while the messages of support since November have been most welcome our appreciation of those has been reiterated many times, and of course will be in the future too. This blog was never designed or written to "drum up" support, but merely as a place to inform. I am at a loss as to the "true colours comment".

I did mention a while ago that we had opted to change the frequency of the posts to weekly and while I have not posted for a couple of weeks this does not mean that i am unaware of those who read and look to this record for news. For that i apologise.

So, lets get you up to date.

Afetr the handfasting James went off and got married, and we have not seen him since then. What we have been doing is managing cleo's rehabilitation ourselves. Using the treadmill we bought, and just daily living her walking is slightly improved, although as before her arm is still not functioning at all.

I spoke at length with James earlier this week, and we are going to see him tomorrow to agree a longer term plan whereby we will continue to manage cleos rehabilitation in this way, and he will review with us on a two- or three-monthly period. James feels this is a good way forward as we move towards a year since the stroke, and the improvements that happen will continue we hope, but aton a much slower pace. James' intervention every two or three months will enable him to see better the improvements cleo has made, and allow us not to be so tied to a weekly schedule of physiotherapy at the hospital when there is little benefit being gained from that.

Another mobility method

We have ordered this week, (it should be delivered tomorrow in fact) an additional aid for cleo: a mobility scooter that will allow her to be mobile anywhere we might go in the car.

This particular design of electric scooter is one which can easily be carried in the boot of a car, and assembled in a few seconds when needed.





cleo is very much looking forward to getting the scooter and not having to rely on others to push her in the wheelchair, or to walk when she might struggle to get to places. This scooter is so small it may even fit in Sarah's car, so Sarah having passed her driving test at the beginning of July might also be able to take her mum out even if i am not around, or at work.

We are also planning to have cleo assessed for her driving again soon, because it's likely she will need some vehicle adaptations to regain her license, and whatever is needed we will add to the new Nissan X-Trail we are getting in September so that cleo can drive that too. Once that's done
there will be no stopping her!